To become a licensed marriage and family therapist in Louisiana (LMFT), you first need to complete a graduate program in this field. According to Louisiana regulations, the degree must be accredited by either the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) or the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). If the program is not accredited by one of these two bodies, it must be substantially equivalent.
Fortunately, Louisiana has numerous licensure-track programs you can pursue. There is a wide variety of online programs available to you as well, should you need the added flexibility of online learning. In either case, you can complete the required training to begin your career in just two or three years. The programs discussed below are among the popular options available.
Marriage and Family Therapy Programs in Louisiana
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering marriage and family therapy graduate programs in Louisiana:
- University of Louisiana at Monroe
- Southeastern Louisiana University
- Loyola University New Orleans
- Houston Christian University
- Northwestern University
- Abilene Christian University
- National University
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe is accredited by COAMFTE. In fact, this M.A. program is one of only a handful in the nation that has this accreditation (most are M.S. degrees). The program focuses on relational and contextual training as well as a systemic orientation. As such, completing this degree allows you to work with individuals, couples, and families with confidence.
The program requires you to complete 60 credits. It is an intensive, on-campus, full-time program that takes two years to complete. Your studies begin with Methods in Therapy and Counseling. This class introduces you to techniques you can employ when working with clients. For example, you might discuss how systems theory techniques can be used to help a couple improve their communication. As another example, you might use a family systems theory approach to help a family work through the stressors associated with the mental illness of one of its members.
Another course you’ll take in your first semester is Foundational Epistemology. This class is critical to your development as a therapist because you’ll explore how your life experiences connect to the experiences of your clients. As a result, you’ll develop a better understanding of how you view therapy, where your focus is during therapy sessions, and how you perceive the problem presented by the clients.
Furthermore, you’ll understand the connection between your clients’ experiences and how you ask questions, how you give direction, and your perceptions and interactions with your clients.
Other first-year coursework includes the following:
- Research Methods in Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling
- Legal and Ethical Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling
- Maladaptive Behavior
- Postmodern Epistemology
- Marriage and Family Therapy With Diverse, Marginalized, and Underserved Communities
In year two of the program, your coursework focuses on specific applications of marriage and family therapy. On the one hand, you’ll take Group Counseling to gain the skills needed to manage small group therapy sessions. On the other hand, you’ll take Strategies for Parent-Child, which explores the relationship between parents and their kids and informs you of techniques you can use to strengthen that bond.
Likewise, you’ll take a course on Counseling Theories, which focuses on historical and modern approaches for addressing mental health issues in a counseling setting. You’ll learn about theories like cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, and Adlerian therapy, as well as narrative therapy, rational-emotive therapy, and various systems therapies, too.
Other coursework focuses more specifically on family-related issues. A good example of this is the required Couples, Intimacy, and Sexuality course. This class explores topics ranging from premarital issues to relationship enhancement to emotional intimacy. Likewise, you’ll take Assessment in Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling to get the proper training in collecting information about your clients so that you can make a proper diagnosis and plan effective treatments.
You must also complete a 500-hour internship. The internship occurs during the final two semesters of the program and involves working directly with clients in an approved setting. Approved settings include the on-campus Marriage and Family Therapy clinic, where you’ll accrue a significant number of hours. Additionally, you’ll work with clients at off-campus partner sites, where you’ll work with individuals, couples, and families.
You must meet the following criteria to be considered for admission:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- Have a 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher or submit satisfactory GRE general test scores.
- Have at least 18 hours of undergraduate studies in behavioral science, including coursework on personality theory and abnormal psychology.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
Southeastern Louisiana University
Master of Science program in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
Southeastern Louisiana University offers a Master of Science program in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling that prepares you to help families work through challenges in their lives. This on-campus program requires you to complete 60 credits of coursework and field training, which leads to licensure as a therapist in Louisiana.
The curriculum is divided into two parts: counseling program core courses and marriage, couple, and family counseling specialty courses. The bulk of the program falls under the counseling core course component–39 credits in all. Think of these classes as being foundational to your development as a clinician and a scholar in this field.
For example, you’ll take Research Methods and Designs, so you’re familiar with various aspects of social science research. Training in this course includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Basic statistics
- Experimental design
- Legal and ethical considerations in research
- Needs assessments
- Program evaluation
Another critical foundational course is Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues. This class highlights historical and current concerns pertaining to ethics and professionalism in marriage and family therapy. Additionally, you’ll develop materials needed to pursue your career, including a referral guide, declaration statement, and curriculum vitae.
Your general training as a counselor includes a Group Process class, too. You’ll learn about key topics like theoretical orientations for group counseling, group dynamics, and group counseling techniques. You’ll add to your collection of counseling skills by taking Counseling Theory as well. This course examines the major theories and approaches for working with individuals, couples, and families. It also discusses how to build a therapeutic relationship with your clients, which you’ll practice in dyadic exercises with classmates.
Other core counseling coursework includes the following:
- Human Growth and Development
- Cross-Cultural Issues
- Career Development
- Assessment in Counseling
- Introduction to Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychopathology
The final 21 hours of this program are the aforementioned marriage, couple, and family counseling courses. First, you’ll take Advanced Theory in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling, which is a study of advanced counseling theories that you can use in the context of marriage and family therapy. More specifically, you’ll learn about cybernetic theory, postmodernist perspectives of family therapy, and social constructionism.
Next, you’re required to take Techniques in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling. This class builds on the theory courses you’ve taken and focuses on clinical interviewing procedures. You’ll also learn about common marriage and family therapy interventions and how to use them effectively to treat a range of marriage and family-related issues.
This program further requires you to take Introduction to Play Therapy. This is an important class in the program because it equips you to work effectively with children–especially young children–who have experienced crisis or trauma or who have a mental illness. You’ll learn about play therapy orientations, theories, and techniques, and you’ll also have the opportunity to gain real-world experience working with children in a play therapy setting.
The final two components of this program are a practicum and an internship. The practicum gives you your first taste of practice as a marriage and family therapist. Your field activities during the practicum are highly structured and closely supervised such that you gain the confidence needed to provide effective counseling. The internship builds on this experience and expands your responsibilities as a therapist. All told, you must accrue 600 clock hours of field training during the internship.
You can apply to Southeastern Louisiana University online at any time. You must meet these criteria to be accepted:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Complete at least nine credits of undergraduate or graduate-level work in behavioral studies.
- Have a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher (applicants with a lower GPA are encouraged to apply, but must submit GRE scores).
- Provide a current resume.
- Submit three reference forms for references who can attest to your academic and professional abilities.
- Submit an autobiographical statement in which you discuss the life experiences that have led you to pursue this degree.
- Participate in an admissions interview.
Loyola University New Orleans
Master of Science in Counseling
Loyola University’s Master of Science in Counseling is a 60-credit program focusing on Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling. This on-campus program is CACREP-accredited and prepares you for working with clients of all ages and backgrounds in the context of individual, couples, or family therapy.
More specifically, your training in this program is based on three essential principles: systems theory, postmodern models of counseling, and communication theory. By acquiring skills in these areas, you’ll conceptualize cases and develop treatment plans for clients in a way that’s respectful of their experience. Additionally, this program emphasizes social justice issues as a means of improving your clients’ functioning and wellness.
Your coursework includes required and elective classes. Some of these classes, like Research and Statistical Methods in Counseling, focus on the science of counseling and psychology. This class, in particular, aids you in developing crucial skills needed for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. The course is accompanied by a Research Writing Lab, during which you’ll gain the skills needed to prepare scholarly manuscripts.
Other classes focus on theory more so than science. For example, Philosophy and Counseling examines the philosophical bases of this field, including the nature of behavior and relationships. What’s more, you’ll get an introduction to historical counseling theories and techniques (e.g., behaviorism) that can be employed when working with clients to help them adapt their behavior for improved functioning.
Other science and theory-related courses you’re required to take include the following:
- Lifespan Development
- Counseling Theories
- Clinical Assessment and Psychometrics
- Introduction to Counseling
- Group Counseling
In addition to these courses, you’re also required to take Diagnostics in Counseling. This class is critical to your development as it helps you understand the diagnostic procedures for evaluating clients for mental illnesses. The class includes a deep dive into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and includes ample opportunities to practice diagnostic procedures for mental disorders of all kinds.
Your skills development isn’t restricted to working with individuals and families, though. You’re also required to take Group Counseling, which prepares you to provide therapy services to large and small groups alike. Learning how to work with a group is a unique experience; it requires refined leadership skills, excellent communication skills, and a strong commitment to the group process.
A course in Career Counseling is also required. Career-related issues (e.g., job dissatisfaction, losing a job) can easily derail a family system. As such, you’ll need the skills to provide career counseling services that help family members find greater purpose and satisfaction with their careers such that their jobs enhance their family experience, not detract from it.
This program includes numerous skills labs that enable you to process and apply what you learn in class. For example, You’ll complete a one-credit lab in Individual Counseling Skills, during which you role-play counseling situations to practice your skills. You’ll do the same for group counseling, too. These role-play activities most frequently occur with your classmates, though your professors might join as participants to provide further guidance.
You must complete three elective credits to finish this degree, too. You can choose your elective from a long list of possibilities, including any of the following:
- Human Sexuality Counseling
- Addiction Counseling
- Play Therapy Theories
- Child/Parent Relationship Therapy
- Psychopathology in Counseling
Once you complete all the coursework discussed above, you’ll start a year-long internship in counseling. The internship is an intensive, in-person training that requires you to work directly with individuals, couples, and families. You can also accumulate hours working in group counseling situations.
Whatever types of clients you work with, you’ll be directly supervised onsite and be subject to supervision from your professors, too. Weekly supervision is required so you can debrief, evaluate your performance, ask questions, and set goals for improvement.
Ensure you meet the following criteria before applying:
- Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a 3.0 GPA or higher for all undergraduate coursework. If you don’t meet this requirement, you may still apply. However, you must also submit official GRE scores.
- Submit transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
You’ll also be required to submit an in-person writing sample and participate in an in-person individual and group interview.
Houston Christian University
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
At Houston Christian University, you can complete a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy that prepares you to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. While this program is not based in Louisiana, you can complete most coursework online (a one-week on-campus intensive is required). All field requirements can be completed at an approved location near your hometown.
This program offers additional features that enhance its flexibility. For example, you can transfer up to six graduate credits to help offset the number of credits needed to complete this degree. As another example, you need only earn C’s in each class to complete the program, which takes some pressure off you to achieve the highest letter grades possible.
The curriculum includes three components: professional counseling core classes, marriage and family core classes, and marriage and family elective classes. The core classes begin with Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling. This class offers a complete overview of potential problems or issues that may arise in the course of your career. Additionally, you’ll learn about best practices and procedures to ensure you meet all relevant ethical and legal standards for this profession.
Multicultural Counseling is another critical class required for your development as a therapist. This course examines topics like gender, race, religion, and culture, and how each influences behavior. More than that, though, you’ll learn to appreciate dynamic and varied perspectives and how to promote acceptance of different points of view in couples and family counseling.
You’re also required to take Crisis Response and Trauma Care. This class proves important for working with couples and families in a crisis situation, such as the sudden death of a loved one. You’ll learn strategies for helping your clients manage stress and anxiety and techniques for working with clients to process their emotions effectively. You’ll also focus on building the rapid-response skills necessary to provide services to families in the midst of a crisis.
Additional core coursework includes the following:
- Spirituality, Theology, and Counseling
- Group Counseling and Psychotherapy
- Clinical Psychopathology
- Research Design and Program Evaluation
- Substance Abuse and Addictive Disorders
The marriage and family core coursework focuses more specifically on applying what you have learned in a counseling setting. While you’ll take some classes, such as Marriage and Family Counseling and Assessment and Counseling with Couples and Families, you’ll primarily focus on obtaining practicum and internship hours during this phase of the program.
The practicum, which is worth three credits, is your initial introduction to clinical practice. Much of your practicum time is spent observing. However, you’ll have opportunities to provide therapeutic services to clients under the watchful eye of your supervisor.
The internship, meanwhile, is an intensive two-semester field experience during which you’ll work independently with clients (though you’ll still participate in individual and group supervision). The internship is the final component of the program. As such, you are required to apply what you have learned in various counseling settings, such as with couples and families, individuals, and groups. The practicum and internship require a combined 700 hours of clock time.
The program’s admissions requirements are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide contact information for two academic or professional references.
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Submit a 500 to 800-word essay in which you explain the purpose of being a mental health clinician, the characteristics that make you a good counselor, why you want to get a graduate degree from Houston Christian, and any challenges that might prevent you from completing this degree.
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